On An Angel's Wings
by Angeles
Summary: What happens when Hitomi decides to go back to Gaia, but not alone? Van has his hands full when another war breaks out. The fate of Gaia rests in the hands of an unknowing and reluctant savior.
1. The Call of Gaia

  
  
  
  
  
  
Authors Note: This is my first fanfic, so be nice. Please review and I would appreciate   
criticism of the constructive kind, no flames. This is a story about what happens after the   
series of Escaflowne. I thought the ending was sad. So I did a continuation, but this story  
doesn't center around Hitomi or Van, even though they are in there. It centers around my own  
homemade character, Solaye. A depressed genius who is timid and shy in everything from her looks  
to sports, and is only confident when it comes to things involving her brain. She believes she  
is weak. I really like her myself. Anyway enjoy.  
  
Disclaimer: I do not, in any way own Escaflowne or it's characters. If I did, I wouldn't be  
spending my time writing a continuation fanfic, I would be making a real sequel.  
  
....=author's notes,  
*....*=thoughts  
  
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"You're coming to my meet right?" Hitomi Kanzaki sorry if I mispelled her name.   
questioned her roommate, Solaye Dearson, "It's the state championships, besides, you have to stop  
reading for awhile, what is this anyway?" She grabbed the book out of her friends hand, "The Art  
of War? Which class is making you read this?"  
"None." Her friend answered making a grab for her book, "It's just for fun."  
"Well in that case," Hitomi held the book over her head and taunted, "You are not aloud  
to touch it for the rest of the week." She laughed lightly and dodged Solaye's frantic attempts  
to get back her book. "Maybe sooner if you come to the meet."  
Solaye paused and looked at her friend. Hitomi was thin and willowy. She had an   
athletes figure and was a bit taller than average hight. Her dirty blond hair fell to about   
shoulders length. She was wearing her track uniforn, and you could see the muscles in her   
thighs that were a result of her running. It was rare that she would seem as happy and energetic  
as she did now. Solaye knew that running was her way of escape, her way of being able to cope   
with her life's problems. After a meet, Hitomi always seemed so lost. Solaye knew that she   
should be there for her friend.  
"Alright, I'll go." She answered pretending to be reluctant, "But I'm telling you, I am   
having fun reading." Solaye's were a deep blue, and her hair, which was jet black, was tied up   
in a tight bun which, when it was let loose, fell down to the end of her back. Her features were  
delicate, and her skin was very pale. Her eyes were covered by small glasses, which she only   
needed for reading, but seeing as she read so often, she never took them off. She was short, and  
her body was naturally curvy, but she was definately not even slightly overweight, because her   
diet contained of mainly salad, healthfood, and soy products, the only junk food she would eat   
was chocolate, and she was addicted to that. She never showed off her looks, because she   
believed that she had none, even though Hitomi kept trying to tell her otherwise. Her wardrobe   
consisted of large T-shirts that said various things such as aids walk, or school slogans, and   
dark baggy jeans.  
She and Hitomi looked like exact opposites, but they were inseperable. They were drawn   
together by their mutual grief for their parents who had died in the same plane crash.   
Having found out they both went to the same collage, they became roomates. Hitomi had eventually  
told Solaye off her expieriance on Gaia again, sorry if I spelled that wrong and Solaye   
believed her, because, for some reason, even though she believed in rational answers for   
everything, Solaye always thought there was magic out there, and Hitomi was the proof.   
The two were practically inseperable, and it was their differances that made them such good   
friends.  
"That's the problem. If it were up to you, you would only venture into the outside   
world for school and groceries."  
"No, I would go and see your meets." Solaye frowned.  
"Thanks, but you're 21 for Christ's sake, Sorry if anyone is offended, but there might   
be other references like that later, so if you are offended, then stop reading you need to get   
out, get a boyfriend, do something!"  
"I don't see you going out with a boyfirend." Solaye retorted, Hitomi looked hurt and   
Solaye grimaced, *Stupid,* she thought, *of course she wouldn't have a boyfriend.* Out loud she   
said, "I'm so sorry. I can't believe I just said that. Can you forgive me?"  
Hitomi's face softened, "I couldn't stay mad at you for long, It's alright, I should've   
gotten over him long ago."  
"No, you loved him, you will be together again, I just know it."  
"Hey aren't I supposed to be the fortune teller?" Hitomi smiled, glad that Solaye didn't  
think her thoughts to far gone.  
"Call it women's intuition." Solaye stood up and started walking out the door.  
"Hey, where are you going?"  
"Your track meet remember?"  
Hitomi followed after her and locked their dorm room. As they walked down they were   
greeted by various people wishing Hitomi good luck. Most knew them as the future valedictorian   
and the track team captain. They were most often found together. As they were walking, Solaye   
pulled out a small book from her purse and started reading, she could easily read and walk at the  
same time. A talent Hitomi still was amazed at. As she side-stepped a man walking towards them,  
her thoughts were stopped by Hitomi grabbing the book from her hand and saying, "That's why you   
never get a guy, you're too busy reading books to even look at them."  
"If there was a guy who actually provided some interesting conversation, I might be   
interested." Solaye could see where this conversation was headed, it was one that they had had   
many times before. They were now on campus, walking towards the track feild, and she didn't feel  
like going into the same act as before, so she tried to direct it in a new direction in order to   
have Hitomi back off. "I don't see what's so special about guys anyway, I mean, take a kiss, all  
it is is two people putting their lips together and sharing there saliva. To me, it just seems   
disgusting and unhealthy."  
Hitomi looked at her friend oddly, true. Hitomi had only had a few kisses in her life,   
never having dated after going to Gaia, but that didn't mean she didn't have expieriance. To her  
a kiss was much more than that, and anyone who she had asked who had been kissed had agreed.   
How could her friend feel this way, *I mean,* Hitomi thought to herself, *even if her first kiss   
had been horrible, she wouldn't think this way, would she? I guess I'm a hopeless romantic, but   
I know people who thought boys were disgusting before they got there first kiss, and then their   
outlook changed? The only way she could feel this way would be if-* Hitomi gasped, "I knew you   
were sheltered as a kid, but not this sheltered. Why didn't you tell me you've never been kissed?"  
Solaye looked uncomfortable, she hadn't expected Hitomi to find that out about her, "I   
don't know, Hitomi, it just never came up. You better go, it's going to start soon." Solaye   
sepperated from Hitomi and went to get a seat near the finish line. She wanted to be there for   
Hitomi when she finished. Solaye wished she could find the same relief in something that Hitomi   
found in running. Sports had never been her forte and she had little stamina. Her main skills  
rested in her brain and that didn't provide her with any relief. People were turned off by her   
smarts and Soalye hated it. The only thing she was confident about was the one thing that turned  
other people away, and she hated it. Maybe it was this grief that drew her to Hitomi, they both   
longed for something they couldn't have. Her thoughts were stopped by the anouncement that the   
race was about to begin.  
  
Hitomi stood at starting point, bracing her feet against the starting blocks. Her head   
felt disconected from her body, her body hummed with anticipation. She offered a silent prayer   
to whoever was listening and put her hand on the feather that rested under her shirt. It was her  
last gift from him. All to soon the buzer sounded, and she was of. She felt as if her feet had   
wings and she was flying. That was why she ran, in a hope that she would lift off the ground and  
fly to Gaia, that she sould feel what Van felt. She felt herself connect with him, more closely   
than she had ever connected before. Her soul felt free and her mind filled with joy. At these   
moments nothing else mattered. *Oh Van* she thought. She was in full sprint now and was running  
faster than she had ever ran before. Softly, just as she was crossing the finish line, ahead of   
everyone else, she heard a voice, a whisper in her mind that said one word, "Hitomi?" before   
fading away.   
As everyone cheered for her and it was announced that she had made a new state record,   
all she could think about was the voice in her mind, *had it been him?* Her euphoria washed away,   
to be replaced by the sadnessthat was always there. The knowledge that she hadn't flown away.   
In the wave of faces surounding her, and patting her on the back she could see only one. Her   
best friend, coming over to her with understanding etched her features. Hitomi smiled, and   
nodded when Solaye put her arm around her shoulder and said, "Let's go home."  
  
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Van had been out riding with Merle and her fiance Kane. It had almost been love at first  
sight when the cat man had come to his court, he had proven himself worthy and had become Van's   
top general. Seeing his need to be alone, Merle had directed Kane to a nearby pond while Van   
sorted out his thoughts. He had almost felt her, as he clutched the pendant that was hidden   
under his shirt. For an instant their minds had connected and he heard her call his name. He   
was surprised and called out to her, *Hitomi?* he thought silently. Was it an omen? He didn't   
know, but his need to be with her had risen greatly at that moment.  
"She'll come back."  
Van turned around to see Merle behind him, she had grown from a childish cat girl to be   
a smart, graceful women who now took over the household affairs of running the castle. "Thank   
you," he answered, Merle always had a knack to know what he was thinking. They were interrupted   
by a messenger coming down the road.  
"Your magesty,"  
"What is it?"  
"Hostile guimelefs again, sorry for the spelling if I got it wrong have been spotted on   
our borders."  
"What?" After six years of peace, Fanelia had just started to become prosperous again.   
"Are you sure?"  
"I would stake my life on it."  
"Damn," Van spurred his horse into motion and the others followed him, soon they were   
back at the palace. Van studied the situation at hand and gave his orders, "Tell them to begin   
evacuations. Merle, I'm going to need you to oversee the evacuation process. Kane, ready the   
army and guimelefs."  
"What about you?"  
"Don't worry Merle, I'll be fine, but I'll need to get the Escaflowne. I won't let   
myself die."  
Merle struggled inwardly abit, but then sighed, "be careful." She watched him take off.   
Turning to her lover with tears in her eyes she said, "You better come back in one peice, or   
else I'll kill you myself."  
"Don't worry my love, I would do anything to escape your wrath." He leaned down and   
kissed her tenderly before going his own way. Merle stared after him. The two people she cared   
most about were going to war and she could do nothing. She resolved herself, wouldn't evacuate   
until she made sure that they were with her. She would make sure of that.  
  
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Solaye held Hitomi in her arms as she cried. She felt awkward, she wasn't used to the   
role of comforter, but no one else was there. Something had happened to Hitomi. She had seen   
it while her friend was racing. When it was over, she had guided the runner to her room and held   
her when she had started to sob in her arms. That had been an hour ago. Finally she asked,   
"What's wrong? What is it?"  
Hitomi stopped crying and wiped her eyes, realizing for the first time where she was.   
"I felt him, in my head. I heard him. It made me realize how much I need him. How much I want   
to be with him, but I can't."  
Of all the people that she thought would be accepting of their fate, Hitomi wasn't one of   
them, Solaye was worried. This was a girl who believed in making your own fate. What had   
happened? In a desperate attempt to make her friend feel better. She asked the first question   
that came to her mouth, "Why not? What's keeping you here?"  
Hitomi stopped, what *was* keeping her here? Her parents had died in the plane crash.   
She was over that, Solaye had helped her through that with their mutual grief. She look at   
Solaye, with her blue eyes that shined with intelligence but also held a hint of sadness that had   
been there since Hitomi had first met her, "You."  
Solaye was startled by her answer. She was the one that had been stopping her best   
friend from achieving happiness, the one thing that she had wanted for her friend. "What do you   
mean?"  
"Look at yourself, without me would be lost. Name one other friend that you have. you   
only go out when I tell you to, and your not confident in yourself at all. If I leave, what   
would happen to you? I know, that eventually, you'll end up dead, or as good as dead, with no   
soul or life."  
The truth in her words stung. Now Solaye, who prided herself on being able to show   
little emotion, started to cry, Hitomi knew her too well. Silent tears trickled down her eyes   
as she had to think and decide. Hitomi's happiness with Van and feeling guilt for abandoning her   
friend, or staying here with her while forever yearning for Van. She knew that Hitomi would let   
her decide, but either way Hitomi got hurt.  
Hitomi looked at her friend as she desperatly tried to hold back tears, she longed to   
comfort Solaye, but knowing that she handled things better alone, she left her to decide. A   
small chuckle escaped from Solaye's lips, than she started laughing. Hitomi gaped at her friend,   
hoping she hadn't gone mad. "It's all so obvious, why didn't I see it before?" Solaye said   
between her hysterics.  
"See what before?" By this time Hitomi was thoroughly confused.  
"You won't feel guilty about leaving me this way, and you can still be with Van."  
"How, how can that be possible?"  
"What if I go with you?"  
  
  
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AN: So, do you like? Hate? Please tell me. Oh If there are mispellings or characters are out   
of character, then I'm sorry but this is a fanfic and if you really hate it, then write your own.   
Thanks for reading it. 


	2. The Battle Begins

AN: Hey everyone, thanks all you people who reviewed my first chapter, sorry this has taken so  
long, but I just got on spring break and haven't had any time until now to write this. I have a  
million stories in my head, but I won't let myself write them until I finish this one, so all the  
more motivation for me to write. I know Amano and Yukari don't appear in this chapter, but I  
might make a sequel to this, and in that they will make a brief appearance. I hope you like  
this installment of the story.   
  
~Angeles~  
  
  
Disclaimer: We all hate 'em, but we have to write 'em. From now on I'm not going to clutter   
the chapter and take my time trying to say I don't own Escaflowne and it's characters except for   
my own made up ones in a funny way, because I don't see what the point is and it is just a waste   
of my time. I'm being a hypocrite right now by writing this but who cares. Anyway, I do not own  
Escaflowne and this fic is only for my personal enjoyment.  
  
  
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Merle wiped her brow as the transport took off. Four-fifths of the people had been   
evacuated and the soldiers were in place. She looked up and saw the setting sun glint off of the  
red armor of Kane's Asmodeus. (AN: I figured he would have a red guimelef and that it should be  
named something to do with the devil and this was the name I came up with. If it offends anyone,  
to bad.) He was positioned in a fighting stance next to the Escaflowne and was looking intensely  
at the horizon. Merle sighed in frustration as she turned around. She hated this waiting game.  
Both sides knew that the other was ready, they were just waiting for the attack. It was just as   
well, because the civilians needed to be evacuated before the fighting truly began.  
She turned around and signaled to the soldiers to start loading the next transport.   
She was thankful that after the Great War, they had developed an evacuation system and the people  
were calm and orderly. All who were left were the strong adults who could defend themselves and   
who didn't have anyone who depended on them. The transport was slowly being filled up, after  
this there would only be two more to go. She was getting anxious and the hair on the back of her  
neck was standing up. She motioned for the transport to leave and the second to last started   
being filled. All the while getting more and more tense.   
The transport was filled and she was about to let it go when she heard the alarm ring   
our. The enemy had been spotted. "Leave!" She yelled at the crew of people who were helping   
her. The vessel took off and everyone readied the last ship for takeoff. This one was the one   
that the evacuation crew and the soldiers would get on once the civilians were safe. Merle ran   
over and pulled on a string. Bells rang our through the town, signaling the escape of the   
townspeople.  
Fenalia was still recovering from the last war, and did not have a large army. It would   
be impossible to win against an enemy as strong as theirs. The transport was rapidly filling   
with soldiers, and soon the only occupants left on the battlefield were guimelefs. They would   
leave when the transport left. The guimelefs had fallen back and were ready to leave and guard   
their escape. Merle turned to see that two of the guimelefs hadn't retreated, and they were   
holding there own against a hoard of enemy soldiers. They would soon be overpowered, but the   
occupants didn't seem to notice or care. Those two, when I get my hands on them I will   
personally rip their lungs out. If that hasn't happened already  
"Lady Merle, you are the only one that hasn't gotten on yet."  
"I'm not getting on, leave without me."  
"But!"  
"I said I'm not getting on, leave dammit."  
The unfortunate guard swallowed and nodded. The transport lifted off, slowly, as the   
last chance of escape flew away. Merle turned towards the two remaining guimelefs and started   
running. She decided that the fastest way to get there would be to cut through the forest. She   
started running, and in the fires and falling debris, no one noticed the column of blue light   
appearing in the sky.  
  
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"What!" Hitomi screamed, she couldn't believe her ears her friend must have been crazy   
to say that.  
"I said," Solaye repeated, "That I could go with you."  
"You can't!"  
"Oh?" Solaye arched an eyebrow, "And why not?"  
"Because you have no idea what you are getting yourself into. People will worry, you   
probably won't be able to come back. It's to dangerous."  
"Thank you for showing me all the cons of this situation." Solaye said quietly, Hitomi   
smiled, glad that her friend had come to her senses, "But," Solaye continued, "I have already   
thought this through." Hitomi's face fell, "Yes, you're right, I don't know what I'm going into,  
but whatever it is, I'm ready for it. I have no family left besides you, and I need some   
adventure in my life, you said so yourself. Look, Hitomi, you of all people know that I don't   
ask for much, but, I'm asking you this, take me with you." Her voice dropped to a pleading   
whisper, "Please."  
Hitomi had never seen her friend so determined and impassioned. There was no way she   
could argue with her. Deep down, Hitomi wanted Solaye to come, to have someone who understood   
her and her world, and so she wouldn't be alone anymore. "Please." Hitomi heard her friend's   
voice again and realized what she had to do.  
"Fine, get out my cards." A smile lit up Solaye's face a she scurried to get the cards.  
Her unspoken question was answered as she gave her friend the cards. "I don't know how to get   
back now that Van has my pendant, "So I need to ask the cards to find out."  
Solaye watched as Hitomi laid out the cards in front of her. She had only seen her do a   
reading when she had asked Hitomi to prove that she had power. Hitomi obliged, but only on the   
condition that it would only be reading of her past. Solaye had been amazed then, but she was   
never able to convince her to do another one. "I can do this, because this is not a question of   
what will happen, but of how to do something." Hitomi's words interrupted her thoughts. Solaye   
watched silently as Hitomi pick the cards up one by one. The reading was silent and she could   
only guess what the cards were saying as her friend's brow furrowed in puzzlement. When she was   
finally finished, Solaye waited expectantly.  
"Well?"  
"It's odd,"  
"How so?"  
"Well, it says to give my companion the token of my love."  
"So," Solaye paused, thinking, "I'm your companion, so give me the token of your love.   
I like this, you have to let me come along now, so what would the token be, anyway?"  
"This," Hitomi walked up to her desk, pulled out a wooden box, "The feather."  
"Of course, but why do I have to hold it, and what do I do once I get it?"  
"Then it says to visualize Gaia and Van."  
"But I've never seen Gaia!"  
"I know, but it says that you must do it." Hitomi pleaded.  
"All right, I will, but I can't promise you it will work. I'm not good at doing things   
like this."  
"Yeah, I know."  
"Hey!" Solaye hit her friend playfully on the shoulder, "That is not helping."  
"You hit like a girl, too."  
"Last time I checked I was a girl, and so were you."  
"I know, therefore, I didn't insult you."  
"You implied it though, if it was anyone else I would have taken it seriously."  
Hitomi sobered, "Now there is your problem, you have no self confidence."  
Solaye sighed, exasperated, "Look Hitomi, we have already had this conversation, and it   
always ends the same way, you telling me I'm and idiot, and me agreeing, but for different   
reasons. Can we just skip this."  
"Your right, we have much more important things to do, like getting to Gaia." She took   
the feather out of the wooden box and unwrapped the cloth from around it. Handing it to Solaye   
she said, "Here, take it."  
"Now?"  
"Why not?" she replied, "I have no business to finish here."  
"Come on Hitomi. What about bringing some clothing and things from home, and I will   
never leave without bringing books. Besides, from what I've heard, I do not want to slam into   
the roof while we are leaving."  
"Trust you to be the rational one when we are about to do something that is going to   
change our lives forever." Hitomi said wryly.  
"Would you have me any other way?"  
"No," Hitomi pulled out her blue sports bag that she still had from when she had gone to   
Gaia, "Come on, lets get packing."  
  
  
"All right," Solaye called out, "Lets go over the list one more time."  
"Okay."  
"Clothes?"  
"What type?"  
"Rugged or casual."  
"Two pairs, check."  
"Three here. Sneakers?"  
"Check."  
"Check. Nicer clothes and shoes? Wait, why do we need to bring nice clothes."  
"Because Gaia is a planet with nobility and a hierarchy, we need to look nice. Check."  
Solaye sighed and put some clothes into her bag, "Check, family heirlooms, pictures, and   
other sentimental objects?"  
"You really are callous when it comes to things involving your dead family aren't you?   
Check."  
"Look, I don't want to talk about it." Solaye put a picture of her standing with a young   
man. "A collection of your favorite books?"  
"Eh ehm,"  
"And CDs."  
"Check."  
"Check. Anything else you want to bring or would feel would be useful?"  
"Got everything."  
"Same here. Cards?"  
"Check. Feather?"  
"Check." Solaye said, clutching the soft white feather.  
"All right!" Hitomi grinned fiercely and shouldered her bag. "Lets get this show on the  
road."  
Solaye put her large, sturdy, black, backpack on her shoulders and followed Hitomi out   
the door. They stood in a long field and waited silently for a moment. Finally Hitomi broke the  
silence, "Well?"  
"All right," Solaye closed her eyes and brought the feather in front of her. "Lets go."  
  
  
AN: I'm evil aren't I. Don't worry, the next one will come out much faster than this one did.   
Thank you to everyone who reviewed my first one. Thank you. Please Review.  



	3. Homecoming

  
  
  
AN: Ok, I'm finally going to get Hitomi and Solaye to Gaia, this chapter will be filled with mushy stuff and other romantic things. You get a hint at the power that Solaye can control, and I bring out more of her timid side here. The only time she acts like herself is when she and Hitimi are alone. There will be more on Solaye and her family troubles later, too.  
  
Disclaimer: I don't own Escaflowne.  
  
  
  
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"Uh, nothing's happening."  
"Arg! We've been trying for an hour, why won't it work?" Hitomi all but screamed. The sun was starting to set, and it the nights were still cold.  
"I'm sorry, I've tried everything, I just can't do it." Solaye was close to tears.  
"No, no, I'm sorry, it's not your fault. I shouldn't have snapped at you. I don't know how we are going to get you to visualize Gaia without having ever seen it."  
"Are you sure that's what it meant?"  
"YES! Maybe. No." Hitomi finished quietly.  
"What, exactly, did the cards say?"  
"They said to- Oh my God. How could I have been so damn stupid!"  
"What? What is it?"  
Hitomi calmed down and said, "I did two readings, one on how *I* could get back with the token, and one on what *we* should use as the token to get back."  
"I still don't see the problem."  
"Well, the first answer was to visualize Van and Gaia with the token, and the second one was that the feather was the token and that you should use it."  
"Which means, that what you would have to do to get back would be different than what I would have to do." Solaye said, as the explanation dawned on her.  
"Yes, unfortunatly, though, I'm too drained to do another reading tonight. We can do one tomorrow."  
Solaye was angry, she had just wasted good time doing nothing, she hated wasting time. She was also cold and hungry. Hitomi was oblivious to the ticking time bomb her roomate was. "Hitomi?" Solaye asked softly, in a menacing voice.  
"Yes?" Hitomi was wary.  
Solaye's voice gradualy got louder and more angry as she continued, "Do you mean to tell me that I just stood out here for an hour, in the cold, for nothing, because *you* didn't ask the right question?" Hitmoi tried to stop Solaye, whom she had never seen so angry before, but Solaye was on a rampage. "That it took you one hour to actually go over what the cards said and realize that I might be different from you, that I might *not* want to return to Van, so therefore he *wouldn't* be the thing that would pull me to Gaia?"  
A blue light had started to emanate from the feather. It started off slowly, but became larger, faster, as Solaye raged on. Hitomi noticed this and called out, "Solaye!"  
"No! Don't you Solaye me. I had to stand out here cold and hungry for no damn reason, and now you are telling me that we have to wait! I'm going to sit here all night if I have to, to make this thing work, and you are going to sit here with me! Or, you are going to read your damn cards and tell me how to do this, and save us a lot of trouble."  
Solaye finally noticed the blue light engulfing them and suddenly realized what was happening. In a more scared tone, she asked, "Is this the light?"  
Hitomi smiled softly and nodded, still shocked and pleased at her friends outburst and its results. It would stand to reason that her timid and shy friends would be able to get them to Gaia only by losing her temper. It was the first time she had ever done it, and Hitomi was going to make sure it wasn't the last. It was good to see her friend have some life in her for a change. Hitomi's thoughts were stifled by the glare in her friends eyes, then again, she thought to herself, maybe it would be better if Solaye's temper wasn't directed at her.  
"Told you we would sit here until hell froze over until I got it. I did do it, too. Without any of your help." This last burst of confidence shot the blue light into a pillar and the two girls started floating. The world stretched out beneath them and the stars twinkled above them.  
All of her newly gained confidence ebbed from Solaye's body, and she cried out in fear. "What's happening! Oh God, we're going to die, we're going to die."  
Hitomi laughed and enjoyed the familiar feeling of floating away. She held onto Solaye's hand in an effort to calm her and said, "Don't worry, we are not going to die, have fun, live a little and enjoy the ride."  
"'Have fun' she says, 'live a little', yeah right, if I live any more, I'll die." Solaye pointedly ignored Hitomi's giggle at her comment and closed her eyes, trying, but failing, to not imagine her gruisome death from falling from such a long up. She did that for what seemed like hours, but in reality for no more than thirty seconds, when she heard Hitomi gasp.  
Opening her eyes, Solaye saw a green expanse of land beneath her swiflty rising up to meet her. Looking up, she saw Earth and the Moon looking down on her. "How could that be?" she thought, wondering aloud, "We should be facing the other way, I didn't feel us flip over."  
"Oh, stop trying to find a feasible explanation for everything, just brace yourself for impact." They thudded to the ground and Hitomi landed expertly on her feet, while Solaye, not being as athletic as Hitomi, landed flat on her behind. They stood up and looked around. They were in a small clearing inside a forest.  
"Well, what now?"  
"If I remeber correctly, this is the forest to the west of the castle, which means if we go that way," Hitomi pointed away from the almost non-existant light of the sun, "We can reach Fanelia castle."  
"You know the way, so you go first." Solaye said quickly. The thought of being in an unfamiliar place, about to meet unfamiliar people that Hitomi knew, ut she didn't, scared her. They weren't able to move from there places when a something crashed through the brush and form barreled into Solaye and threw her on the ground from which she had just gotten up from.  
The other form rolled and recovered before staring at the two. Solaye backed away in fear as she realized that this person wasn't human, but was part cat. Looking towards Hitomi's face, she saw confusion quickly be replaced by recognition.  
"Merle!" She screamed.  
Merle looked closely at her until dawning recognition came to the catwoman. "Hi-Hitomi?"  
Hitomi nodded and said, "Miss me?"  
Merle pummeled her to the ground and hugged Hitomi fiercly, "You have no idea." She got up and brushed herself off. Helping Hitomi to her feet, she explained, "We have to go, that love of yours is trying to play hero again and is going to get himself killed."  
"Van? That idiot." Hitomi cursed and said, "Well? Lets get going."  
Merle ran off and Hitomi followed. In the darkness, Solaye sat there confused until she realized that they had forgotten about her and ran to catch up. "Hey!" She yelled. "Wait for me!"  
Hitomi stopped suddenly when and remembered, "Solaye!"  
"Who?"  
"The girl I was with, she's not with us." Whatever else she might of said was cut off as Hitomi clutched her head and gasped. Solaye finally caught up and put her hands on her knees, panting. She wasn't used to running and quickly tired. When Hitomi recovered, her eyes were full of fear. "Oh God." She whispered.  
"What is it?" Solaye asked, concerned.  
"I had a vision, Van was about to-Oh God, I have to warn him." With that, Hitomi ran off, with Merle in her wake.  
As Solaye watched them leave she muttured to herself, "Why me, why me." And she steeled herself, against her body's protests, to run after them.  
  
Van was fighting back to back with Kane. They were strategicaly placed so that only a few guimelefs could attack them at one time. They were tiring out quickly and Van knew he was going to have to retreat soon, but he couldn't get an opening. His back was open for a split second as Kane fought another opponent. Van himself was busy fighting his own battle and was unaware of the danger behind him. An enemy guimelef started charging at his unsuspecting prey and was about to strike, when, through the noise of battle, a voice was heard.  
"Van! Look out behind you!"  
Van instinctively knew who it was. Hitomi? he thought, What is she doing here? In one swift move, he felled the enemy behind him, and turned and sliced through the other. The battlefield was clear for a moment as the guimelefs seemed more intent on destroying the palace instead of them.   
Van looked down and saw Merle and Hitomi running towards them. He didn't have time to question anything, he only knew that she was there. "Kane, get Merle and retreet, I'll follow you." He ordered. Kane's guimelef was partly based off the Zaiboch(AN: I don't know how to spell it, so this could easily be wrong.) models in that it had the ability to fly, so Van was confident that they would be able to escape together.  
Through the destruction, he saw Kane bend down and close his fist around Merle, he took a running start and lifted off the ground. Hitomi found herself being lifted by Van and put on his shoulder as he yelled, "Hold on tight."  
Solaye broke through the bushes just in time to see what seemed to be a giant robot become an equally large dragon. She paled when she realized that Hitomi was on it and was leaving, with her only chane of escape. She ran out onto the battlefield, hoping she would be noticed, when a large piece of rubble started to fall. Her hands reached up instinctively and clutched her head while she cowered down, and screamed.  
The scream broke through Hitomi's dazed thoughts and she hurridly remembered Solaye. Turning to Van, she yelled, "Solaye! I came here with her, we've got to help her." Van also turned in the direction of the scream and saw a girl cowering, trying to shield herself from certain death. He then watched, amazed, as the falling debris exploded in mid air, and became a harmless shower of dust.  
Solaye looked up, shocked that she wasn't dead by now. Her wonderment was short lived as she saw a dragon racing towards her, and Hitomi leaning over the edge. As it neared, her friends voice shouted out, "Solaye, grab on!" The rush of wind flew by her and almost knocked her back, but she had the strength to reach out to Hitomi's hands, the touched, barely, before the forse of the wind broke them apart.  
Solaye clawed frantically at the dragon as it rushed past. She saw the horror in Hitomi's eyes as another piece of the building behind her start to fall. Solaye ignored the instinct to pull back her bleading hands as her finger struggled to find purchase, anything that she could grab on to, the Dragon flew by, until her arm latched onto something, a leg.  
Solaye rejoiced as her other arm automatically came around it, and she was lifted from the ground, just seconds before she would have been pulverized. Her euphoria died quickly as she heard Hitomi scream and her own grip slip. "Help!" she yelled, but the rushing wind aloud her to hear her friend, but not let them hear her. She tried to comfort Hitomi, to tell her she wasn't dead, but soon her mind was on other matters.  
She was up in the air, hanging of a dragon's leg, no one knew she was there, and her grip was slipping. "Oh shit." she said softly to herself, "How the hell do I get into these situations."  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
The general surveyed the ruins of the capital of Fanelia. She was satisfied, her troups had done their job, but she was still puzzeled as to why she was ordered to let everyone escape. "General Soone!" A soldier yelled.  
"Yes?"  
"The capital is secure, we are ready to move on whenever we're ready."  
"Not yet, take care of our injured first, then we'll move on."  
"But, the Czar said-"  
"I know what the Czar said, but the Czar doesn't have a battalion of wounded under his command, now does he?"  
"As you command."  
General Soone was an honorable fighter, and she didn't like the tactics of the Czar, but she was loyal to the rulers of the empire, who her family had served for generations. She would confront him though, to find out his plan, she needed to know, and soon. 


End file.
